70 hikers, including children, army cadets, rescued on Northern Ireland mountains

At least 70 people were rescued after they were stranded on Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. (AP)

At least 70 people, including young army cadets, were rescued Wednesday after several of them suffered hypothermia and injuries while training in the mountains in Northern Ireland, the UK Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard received a call about hikers stranded due to "inclement weather" on Mourne Mountains in Belfast just before noon.

"This morning they were in the Mourne Mountains when that atrocious weather swept in. A decision was taken to withdraw as the weather and rain, wind continued," Ken Johnston, chief press officer with Northern Ireland Ministry of Defense told the BBC.

Helicopter crews rescued 70 hikers, several of them between the ages 12 and 17, though the Coast Guard said four people "may be suffering from exposure."

At least 16 people were suffering from hypothermia and minor injuries, the BBC reported.

Johnston said the rescue operation was "remarkable" and said the children were suffering "fairly minor injuries."